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"Powerful new evidence about the ability of vitamin D to stem a wide range of diseases has brought the prospect of a nationwide programme to prescribe it in Scotland as a dietary supplement significantly closer. Reports at the weekend suggested that experts were increasingly convinced that the so-called sunshine drug - whose significance was first revealed in detail by The Times last year - could make a difference to the country's appalling health record. New research suggests that high doses of vitamin D could dramatically cut the relapse rate in people with multiple sclerosis. According to scientists in Canada, more than a third of sufferers taking high levels of supplement

"April 28, 2009 (Seattle) -- High doses of vitamin D dramatically cut the relapse rate in people with multiple sclerosis, a study shows. Sixteen percent of 25 people with multiple sclerosis (MS) given an average of 14,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day for a year suffered relapses, says Jodie Burton, MD, a neurologist at the University of Toronto. In contrast, close to 40% of 24 MS patients who took an average of 1,000 IU a day -- the amount recommended by many MS specialists -- relapsed, she says. Also, people taking high-dose vitamin D suffered 41% fewer relapses than the year before the study began, compared with 17% of those taking typical doses. People taking high doses of vitamin D did not suffer any significant side effects, Burton tells WebMD."

"Hypovitaminosis D is a deficiency of Vitamin D. It can result from: inadequate intake coupled with inadequate sunlight exposure (in particular sunlight with adequate ultra violet B rays), disorders that limit its absorption, conditions that impair conversion of vitamin D into active metabolites, such as liver or kidney disorders, or, rarely, by a number of hereditary disorders.[1] Deficiency results in impaired bone mineralization, and leads to bone softening diseases, rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults, and contributes to osteoporosis.[1] Osteomalacia may also occur rarely as a side-effect of phenytoin use Hypovitaminosis D is typically diagnosed by measuring the concentration in blood of the compound 25-hydroxyvitamin D (calcidiol), which is a precursor to the active form 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (calcitriol).[6] One recent review has proposed the following four categories for hypovitaminosis D:[7] * Insufficient 50-100 nmol/L (20-40 ng/mL) * Mild 25-50 nmol/L (10-20 ng/mL) * Moderate 12.5-25.0 nmol/L (5-10 ng/mL) * Severe < 12.5 nmol/L (< 5 ng/mL) Note that 1.0 nmol/L = 0.4 ng/mL for this compound.[8] Other authors have suggested that a 25-hydroxyvitamin D level of 75-80 nmol/L (30-32 ng/mL) may be sufficient

"With daily news reports warning of a swine flu pandemic, members have besieged our health advisors with questions about what they should do to protect themselves against the H1N1 (swine flu) virus. The good news is that Life Extension® members obtain a considerable amount of immune support via the supplements they already use, especially those taking high-dose vitamin D. An important question, however, is what one should do if they develop symptoms of a viral infection? As the days grow colder, the risks of contracting common flu and cold viruses increase. Each year, flu virus infections kill around 36,000 Americans and cause miseries for millions.1 An outbreak of the swine flu virus is expected this winter. While certain supplements (and drugs) purport to shorten the duration of a viral infection, most of them fail to provide significant relief. Over the past 28 years, Life Extension® personnel have experimented with various nutrients, hormones, and drugs in order to minimize the impact of the common cold and typical flu viruses. In this article, I will reveal what has worked for me personally to ward off common cold/flu viruses and what has been validated in the scientific literature to be effective. I will also elaborate on some aggressive prescription drug strategies to consider in the event that you contract a severe form of swine flu or other type of influenza."

"For what reason I don't know, but this January 2009 editorial by William Faloon of the Life Extension Foundation is making the rounds. Perhaps it just came available on the web. It's a good read, particularly in light of the billions and trillions of dollars the thieves & thugs in DC are about to flush down the crapper on your behalf. Some notable excerpts. A large number of new vitamin D studies have appeared in the scientific literature since I wrote my plea to the federal government. These studies don't just confirm what we knew 16 months ago-they show that optimizing vitamin D intake will save even more lives than what we projected. For instance, a study published in June 2008 showed that men with low vitamin D levels suffer 2.42 times more heart attacks. Now look what this means in actual body counts. Each year, about 157,000 Americans die from coronary artery disease-related heart attacks. Based on this most recent study, if every American optimized their vitamin D status, the number of deaths prevented from this kind of heart attack would be 92,500. To put the number of lives saved in context, tens of millions of dollars are being spent to advertise that Lipitor® reduces heart attacks by 37%. This is certainly a decent number, but not when compared with how many lives could be saved by vitamin D. According to the latest study, men with the higher vitamin D levels had a 142% reduction in heart attacks."

Vitamin D intake to attain a desired serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration. Aloia JF, Patel M, Dimaano R, Li-Ng M, Talwar SA, Mikhail M, Pollack S, Yeh JK. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Jun;87(6):1952-8. PMID: 18541590 The mean daily dose was 86 microg (3440 IU). The use of computer simulations to obtain the most participants within the range of 75-220 nmol/L predicted an optimal daily dose of 115 microg/d (4600 IU). No hypercalcemia or hypercalciuria was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Determination of the intake required to attain serum 25(OH)D concentrations >75 nmol/L must consider the wide variability in the dose-response curve and basal 25(OH)D concentrations. Projection of the dose-response curves observed in this convenience sample onto the population of the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey suggests a dose of 95 microg/d (3800 IU) for those above a 25(OH)D threshold of 55 nmol/L and a dose of 125 microg/d (5000 IU) for those below that threshold.

The relevance of vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms for cancer: a review of the literature. Köstner K, Denzer N, Müller CS, Klein R, Tilgen W, Reichrath J. Anticancer Res. 2009 Sep;29(9):3511-36. Review. PMID: 19667145 CONCLUSION: Significant associations with VDR polymorphisms have been reported in cancer of the breast (Fok1, Bsm1, Taq1, Apa1, poly (A)), prostate (Fok1, Bsm1, Taq1, poly (A)), skin (Fok1, Bsm1, A-1210), colorectum (Fok1, Bsm1), ovary (Fok1, Apa1) and bladder (Fok1), and in renal cell carcinoma (Taq1, Apa1). However, conflicting data have been reported for most malignancies. After careful evaluation of the actual literature, it can be summarized that data indicating an association of VDR polymorphisms and cancer risk are strongest for breast cancer (Bsm1, Fok1), prostate cancer (Fok1) and malignant melanoma (MM) (Fok1). Data indicating an association of VDR polymorphisms and cancer prognosis are strongest for prostate cancer (Fok1), breast cancer (Bsm1, Taq1), MM (Bsm1) and renal cell carcinoma (Taq1).

Vitamin D: a D-Lightful health perspective. Holick MF. Nutr Rev. 2008 Oct;66(10 Suppl 2):S182-94. Review. PMID: 18844847 DOI: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2008.00104.x Sunlight provides most humans with their vitamin D requirement. Adequate vitamin D(3) by synthesis in the skin or from dietary and supplemental sources is essential for bone health throughout life. Vitamin D deficiency is defined as a 25(OH)D concentration 30 ng/mL (75 nmol/L), and insufficiency as 21-29 ng/mL. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency has been linked to a wide variety of chronic diseases including common cancers, autoimmune, cardiovascular, and infectious diseases. Healthcare professionals need to be aware of the vitamin D deficiency pandemic. Guidelines for sensible sun exposure and supplemental vitamin D of 800-1000 IU/day are needed.

Effects of calcium, dairy product, and vitamin D supplementation on bone mass accrual and body composition in 10-12-y-old girls: a 2-y randomized trial. Cheng S, Lyytikäinen A, Kröger H, Lamberg-Allardt C, Alén M, Koistinen A, Wang QJ, Suuriniemi M, Suominen H, Mahonen A, Nicholson PH, Ivaska KK, Korpela R, Ohlsson C, Väänänen KH, Tylavsky F. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Nov;82(5):1115-26; quiz 1147-8. PMID: 16280447

Cod liver oil, vitamin A toxicity, frequent respiratory infections, and the vitamin D deficiency epidemic. Cannell JJ, Vieth R, Willett W, Zasloff M, Hathcock JN, White JH, Tanumihardjo SA, Larson-Meyer DE, Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Lamberg-Allardt CJ, Lappe JM, Norman AW, Zittermann A, Whiting SJ, Grant WB, Hollis BW, Giovannucci E. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2008 Nov;117(11):864-70. Review. PMID: 19102134 Until we have better information on doses of vitamin D that will reliably provide adequate blood levels of 25(OH)D without toxicity, treatment of vitamin D deficiency in otherwise healthy children should be individualized according to the numerous factors that affect 25(OH)D levels, such as body weight, percent body fat, skin melanin, latitude, season of the year, and sun exposure.2 The doses of sunshine or oral vitamin D3 used in healthy children should be designed to maintain 25(OH)D levels above 50 ng/mL. As a rule, in the absence of significant sun exposure, we believe that most healthy children need about 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily per 11 kg (25 lb) of body weight to obtain levels greater than 50 ng/mL. Some will need more, and others less. In our opinion, children with chronic illnesses such as autism, diabetes, and/or frequent infections should be supplemented with higher doses of sunshine or vitamin D3, doses adequate to maintain their 25(OH)D levels in the mid-normal of the reference range (65 ng/mL) - and should be so supplemented year round. Otolaryngologists treating children are in a good position to both diagnose and treat vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D, nervous system and aging. P. Tuohimaa, T. Keisala, A. Minasyan, J. Cachat and A. Kalueff. . Psychoneuroendocrinology, Volume 34, Supplement 1, December 2009, Pages S278-S286 NEUROACTIVE STEROIDS: EFFECTS AND MECHANISMS OF ACTION doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.07.003 This is a mini-review of vitamin D3, its active metabolites and their functioning in the central nervous system (CNS), especially in relation to nervous system pathologies and aging. The vitamin D3 endocrine system consists of 3 active calcipherol hormones: calcidiol (25OHD3), 1α-calcitriol (1α,25(OH)2D3) and 24-calcitriol (24,25(OH)2D3). The impact of the calcipherol hormone system on aging, health and disease is discussed. Low serum calcidiol concentrations are associated with an increased risk of several chronic diseases including osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, hypertension, atherosclerosis and muscle weakness all of which can be considered aging-related diseases. The relationship of many of these diseases and aging-related changes in physiology show a U-shaped response curve to serum calcidiol concentrations. Clinical data suggest that vitamin D3 insufficiency is associated with an increased risk of several CNS diseases, including multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, seasonal affective disorder and schizophrenia. In line with this, recent animal and human studies suggest that vitamin D insufficiency is associated with abnormal development and functioning of the CNS. Overall, imbalances in the calcipherol system appear to cause abnormal function, including premature aging, of the CNS.

My doctor advised us to give Vitamin D to both our children, though our son is more than 4 year old. I decided to find out more about it. I surfed the Internet, read the description of the vitamin (here Canadian Pharmacy site https://www.canadapharmacy.com/ helped me a lot). Finally, I decided to give it to my children. But I didn't know, it is good for adults. Thanks for sharing this information, it is very useful for me!

A positive dose-response effect of vitamin D supplementation on site-specific bone mineral augmentation in adolescent girls: a double-blinded randomized placebo-controlled 1-year intervention. Viljakainen HT, Natri AM, Kärkkäinen M, Huttunen MM, Palssa A, Jakobsen J, Cashman KD, Mølgaard C, Lamberg-Allardt C. J Bone Miner Res. 2006 Jun;21(6):836-44. PMID: 16753014 doi: 10.1359/jbmr.060302 We conclude that the current vitamin D recommendation for adolescent girls, at least in the northern latitudes, is too low to ensure sufficient vitamin D status during winter. Intake of vitamin D at rates of 10-15 μg/day aids to maintain stable S-25(OH)D concentrations during winter. Vitamin D induced BMC augmentation by decreasing bone resorption, but not affecting bone formation, which was reflected by the biochemical markers of bone turnover. Optimizing bone mineral gain in adolescence is crucial to the prevention of osteoporosis later in life. Increasing vitamin D intake to 10-15 μg/day aids in attaining this goal.

Statins and vitamin D. Aloia JF, Li-Ng M, Pollack S. Am J Cardiol. 2007 Oct 15;100(8):1329. Epub 2007 Jul 5. No abstract available. PMID: 17920383 A total of 208 women were randomized to receive vitamin D3 (n=104) or placebo (n=104). 51 women were on statins. At baseline, the subjects on statins had a significantly higher 25-OHD level than the subjects who were not on statins (51.2 ± 20.1 nmol/L versus 43.2 ± 18.0 nmol/L respectively, p=0.008). This was also true when averaging 25-OHD levels across the 3-year study period and looking at active and placebo patients separately. 185 subjects had follow-up 25-OHD levels drawn every 6 months during the study. Higher levels were seen in the statin use subgroup whether they were on placebo or active vitamin D (Figure 1Figure 1). There was no interaction seen between vitamin D use and statin use, i.e. the impacts are additive (p=0.5502). This significant difference is comparable to the increase in 25-OHD levels seen in Pérez-Castrillón's study (41 ± 19 versus 47 ± 19 nmol/L, p=0.003) [1]. Although Pérez-Castrillón et al found a statistically significant relation between total cholesterol and 25-OHD (r=0.277, p=0.002), we did not find a significant relation between total cholesterol and 25-OHD in our study population.

Vitamin D and type 2 diabetes: are we ready for a prevention trial? Scragg R. Diabetes. 2008 Oct;57(10):2565-6. PMID: 18820212 doi: 10.2337/db08-0879 Despite evidence from the current article (3) and the Finnish study (17), doubts still remain about whether low vitamin status is a cause of type 2 diabetes. Further cohort studies are required, assessing baseline vitamin D status using blood 25(OH)D to be sure that the Ely and Finnish studies are not false-positive results. Glucose clamp studies are also required because we are still not sure of the mechanism influenced by vitamin D-whether it is insulin resistance, secretion, or both. But most importantly, given that nearly three decades have passed since the first studies linking vitamin D with insulin metabolism (6,7), well-designed clinical trials of the effect of vitamin D supplementation on glycemia status and diabetes risk are urgently required to settle this question. And they need to prevent past mistakes. In particular, the vitamin D dose given in such trials needs to be high enough-above 2,000 IU per day (19)-to raise blood 25(OH)D levels above 80 nmol/l because diabetes risk is lowest at this level (9,20). If well-designed trials are carried out and confirm a protective effect from vitamin D, it could be used by the general population as a simple and cheap solution to help prevent the diabetes epidemic.

A seasonal variation of calcitropic hormones, bone turnover and bone mineral density in early and mid-puberty girls - a cross-sectional study. Viljakainen HT, Palssa A, Kärkkäinen M, Jakobsen J, Cashman KD, Mølgaard C, Lamberg-Allardt C. Br J Nutr. 2006 Jul;96(1):124-30. PMID: 16870000 Seasonal variation in S-25-OHD and bone remodelling markers accompanied by negative correlation between S-25-OHD and S-iPTH was seen in this cross-sectional study of adolescent girls. In addition, the seasonal rhythm contributed 7.0-7.6 % difference in the BMD of lumbar vertebrae and left femur in early puberty girls. This variation should be avoided since it could hamper peak bone mass attainment.

Association of low 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations with elevated parathyroid hormone concentrations and low cortical bone density in early pubertal and prepubertal Finnish girls. Cheng S, Tylavsky F, Kröger H, Kärkkäinen M, Lyytikäinen A, Koistinen A, Mahonen A, Alen M, Halleen J, Väänänen K, Lamberg-Allardt C. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Sep;78(3):485-92. Erratum in: Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Jan;83(1):174. PMID: 12936933 CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D-deficient girls have low cortical BMD and high iPTH concentrations, which are consistent with secondary hyperparathyroidism. A low vitamin D concentration accompanied by high bone resorption (TRAP 5b) may limit the accretion of bone mass in young girls.